Welcome to The Gallagher Academy
by EveningWriter
Summary: "This is where we are staying?" Set in Cross My Heart, and Hope to Spy, Zach and the rest of the boys reactions to seeing The Gallagher Academy for the first time. One-shot.


Zach's eyes snapped open as he heard the piercing alarm begin to ring throughout the facility. It was the signal that night drills were to begin at the Blackthorne Institute for Boys. Routine took over as he hopped down from his top bunk and landed next to one of the guys climbing out of the bottom bunk. Zach reached under the bottom bunk to pull out his jumpsuit. Instead, he pulled out a neatly folded, boys, prep school uniform, complete with a tie.

"Nice uniform, Zach." The boy next to him sneered as he unfolded his jumpsuit.

_Someone had replaced my clothes._

_What the hell? _

_Was this some elaborate prank?_

_Was this some part of a cruel form of punishment?_

Zach glanced around to see if anybody else was facing the same situation he was and a few bunk beds down he saw another boy pulling out the same uniform. Then it all came back to him.

The assignment of tailing some girls from Gallagher in D.C.

The briefing a few nights ago about the exchange...

_"The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is an all girls school that trains spies," the Head of Institute had said from behind his desk. "The school is legendary in the clandestine business for creating some of the top spies around the world. And having one of the most tight knit societies, their sisterhood."_

_"This semester, the Academy has offered us the opportunity to have some of the boys here visit their school for the semester. The fifteen of you have been selected to be apart of this. In a few nights you will wake up at the time night drills begin, you will get dressed in your new school uniform, pack, and meet at the gate. Dr. Steve," he nodded his head to the Doctor leaning against the wall, "will meet you at the school, and will be presiding over you during the entirety of your stay. You will come back here three weeks before their school year ends."_

_With a final warning he said, "Enjoy this opportunity boys. The girls at Gallagher live a life of luxury, especially compared to Blackthorne. These girls, although easy to tail and easy to manipulate at times, are not to be underestimated. Especially when working with them in the future."_

Zach thought about what the Head of the Institute had said as he tied his tie. Zach had heard about Gallagher, long before he had had to tail Cammie Morgan in D.C. The school is supposed to be big and powerful, with many secrets. But to him, Gallagher Academy isn't all its cracked up to be. The school may have trained some of the top spies, but it also trained people like his mother.

As he packed, Zach got looks from others as they past by his bunk. He glanced at the boy a few bunks down and saw him tying his new shoes. He didn't like this. His collar was too tight, and the shiny shoes were too big. This uniform was more restricting than his usual jumpsuit. He knew that going to Gallagher was going to be a trip.

And he wasn't sure if he was ready or not.

* * *

The boys gathered in a group behind the chain link gate with their suitcases, looking completely out of place in their new uniforms. They watched the other boys in their jumpsuits get into formation and run off chanting in the other direction, before turning around and finding a big limo on the other side of the fence.

"He wasn't kidding about the 'life of luxury'," muttered one of the juniors as the gates opened.

* * *

"Bet you I can bag one of the girls!" Said an 8th grader, only a half-hour into the trip.

"Bet you can't, loser." Said one of the seniors.

* * *

"I wonder what kind of things they learn." One of the guys said. "It can't be anything that we learn."

"Well duh, dumbass. They're the spies, we're the killers." Said a freshman.

Silence filled the limo.

* * *

A few more hours into the trip things began to get dull and boring. The novelty of the limo finally wore off, and conversations soon began to come to an end.

Although the limo had three-inch bulletproof glass and tires thick with rubber, the limo wasn't anything spectacular. No chilled bottles of champagne, no video screens, no cool lighting, no high-powered rifles or data analysis reports, and no sandwiches (despite the fact that there had been multiple searches due to hunger). But, it was already better than anything they had back at Blackthorne.

* * *

_Welcome to Roseville, Virginia!_

A sign read as the limo entered the sleepy, little town. It was early in the morning now. Although still dark, the sun was about to rise. The world was about to wake up.

The car turned onto a street and the group was immediately greeted with tall stonewalls and strong iron gates. They drove up and met another sign engraved into the wall.

_The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women_

_Founded in 1865_

A guard, chewing some bubble-gum, opened the gates and they drove in and got their first glance at the place... or well, mansion.

"Woah!"

"This is where we are staying?"

"Rich chicks, yes!"

"Why couldn't this be Blackthorne's cover?"

Everybody was craning their necks to get a better view. It was like nothing they _ever_ had. It looked like nothing they ever would. Everything was landscaped and manicured to perfection. A barn was on one side of the school, a lake on the other. And the school... it was huge and grand and _luxurious_, something to be cherished by the boys while they had it.

Zach looked up at the windows in the mansion as they reflected the moonlight and thought about the girl he had tailed in D.C., Cammie Morgan.

_Was she sleeping right now?_

_Why had she told me everything about her Covert Operations assignment in D.C., like I could be trusted? _

_As if I was harmless._

_As if I couldn't have killed her, alone in that elevator._

_She had made it so easy for me._

_How had she known about Blackthorne?_

_Does she know what we really learn or does she just know our name?_

These thoughts had been stirring around in Zach's head since the operation in D.C. She was mysterious and smart, but gullible. He found it attractive; he couldn't help himself.

The limo stopped at the front of the school where three people stood on the steps. In the middle was a tall and beautiful women, — "Damn, she's hot!" — to her right stood Dr. Steve, — "Why the hell is he smiling?" — and to her left was Joe Solomon — "Is that Joe Solomon?"

"Yeah, that's him."

* * *

"Welcome to the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women." Said the women in the middle, to the group of boys assembled in front of her. "I am the headmistress, Rachel Morgan. I thank you for coming to our school, and I hope you enjoy it. Please, follow me."

She turned on her heel and walked through the entrance of the school, Mr. Solomon and Dr. Steve following. The group of boys fell in behind them.

* * *

"Not bad," said Zach as he sat down on his bed and looked around the room.

"No bunk beds... I could get used to this." Grant said, lying down on the bed next to Zach and putting his arms behind his head. "I bet the food here is good too."

The group had just gotten a quick tour of the school before being ushered in to their new rooms. They had only been there for an hour and the school was already doing something to them. Everybody was talking nonstop. The relaxed atmosphere of the school was infectious; the boys were acting in a way the never would or could at Blackthorne. It was almost strange. They could be a little careless, and not have to do twenty push-ups on the spot.

"Could you imag-"

"Get up." Dr. Steve interrupted, looking enthusiastic. "We are to be introduced during breakfast and breakfast has started!"

The group walked out of their rooms and assembled behind the doors to the Grand Hall. They could hear the voices of girls on the other side of the door. They were laughing and talking loudly in German. Zach wondered if Cammie was laughing too. Soon there was a hush and the voice of Headmistress Morgan filled the Hall.

And then the doors opened.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

- This is my first fanfic ever.

- It's late at night, plus I did this on kind of a whim, so it's not the greatest.

- I don't mind constructive criticism.

- I like to think that the reason why Zach likes Cammie is that she is just as mysterious to him, as he is to her. :)


End file.
